Preparing Your Vehicle for Everyday Emergencies

For as long as I can remember, I have understood the concept that emergencies can easily happen while I’m out and about.  Because of that, I started preparing my backpack for everyday emergencies.

As it is, my mom already calls my backpack a suitcase.  Yea, it can be that heavy.  I decided that I wanted to prepare for more emergencies for while I am out and about.  Well, I can’t fill my backpack further and still carry it.  The next best option for me was to start preparing my vehicle for little everyday emergencies.

I’ve posted about this on Facebook at one point in one of the many groups to which I belong.  The response from one person was, “There’s no way I could fit all that in my car!”  Well, watch out world!  We’re going to tackle a series on “The Prepared Vehicle.”

Today we’re just going start with –

What is a prepared vehicle?

Let’s start with what it’s not.

A prepared vehicle is NOT a Bug-Out Vehicle.  When I hear Bug-Out Vehicle, in my mind I picture something like a Humvee with an armored trailer being pulled behind it.  The people sitting in it are all holding rifles or handguns across their lap.  Well, that is NOT – I repeat NOT – like in NO WAY – I mean it’s inconceivable that that concept is what I mean by a prepared vehicle.

My vehicle

My Honda CRV looks like just about any other crossover out there on the roads.  Since I have four kids still at home, the inside is a bit cluttered.  My youngest son is tasked with cleaning it out every Saturday.  But it probably looks just like your vehicle.  I don’t have armored plating, but I do have a sunroof.  I don’t drag a trailer everywhere behind me.  If you spy my dog in the CRV, it’s a dachshund/terrier mix, not a large dog built for protection.

But how would I define a prepared vehicle?  I would define it as a vehicle that is ready to handle any of life’s minor emergencies (not the zombie apocalypse) while you’re out and about.  It’s a definite step up from the level of preparing my backpack.  Fortunately, my CRV can hold a LOT more than my purse can.  Big plus!  That means I can be better prepared.

Why Have a Prepared Vehicle?

Ooooooo.  I could go on all day (but I won’t) about why it’s important to have a prepared vehicle!  It’s something I’m rather passionate about.  Let me just give you a few examples.

Food Emergencies

A few years ago, I was out and about with my children looking at different properties.  We were wanting to move to the country, so the properties we were looking at were a long way outside of Ferguson, Missouri, where we lived at the time.  One of the properties, in particular, was further out than I had realized.  We had to find a gas station out in the boonies.  My kids were hungry and thirsty as it was fast approaching lunchtime, but there was no place to eat without driving about 20-30 minutes.  Well, I kept a snack box in our vehicle.  This was the perfect time to pull out the box and to give everyone a snack.  I don’t keep a huge stash of drinks in the car, but I do keep enough drink boxes in the car for everyone to have at least one drink if something happens, so we broke out the drink boxes too.

Outdoor Emergencies

A couple of years ago, we were going to an outdoor wedding.  The day was beautiful.  The sky was blue.  The birds were singing, AND………………….Yes, the mosquitos were biting.  Really badly.  We walked to the seating area of the wedding, and after everyone was situated, I turned around and walked back to the van.  I keep a homemade version of (actually pleasant smelling) bug spray.  I pulled it out, brought it back to the seating area, and applied it to all my kids.  We didn’t get another bug bite.

First Aid Emergencies

We were out in New Mexico up in the mountains.  One of my kids was running through a gravel parking lot and fell.  She scraped up her knee pretty badly.  We were able to clean the cut, put an antibiotic ointment on it, put a large bandage on it, and self-adhesive wrap around it (since it was on a knee).  Nothing ever came of it because we had the basics for first aid.

How Do You Develop Your Own Prepared Vehicle

Well, that part is going to take some time to discuss.  Over the course of the next several weeks, I’m going to be taking the concept of a prepared vehicle and breaking it down very simply for you with action items, checklists, and helpful tidbits.  I wrote a post a few weeks ago about the 5 Basic Systems of Self Sufficiency.  We’re going to take those systems and specifically and practically adapt them to any vehicle.

What about you?